A Sensitive Man
by Copperbell111
Summary: FRUK One shot. Hurt/Comfort. Was Arthur really crying over something like that? Francis sees a side of Arthur he never knew existed, and it is both surprising and humbling.


Francis got home some time after Arthur did, and although that was unusual it wasn't entirely uncommon. His husband happened to be sitting on a chair in the lounge just staring into space, and hardly noticed when Francis arrived home, his breathing was shallow and he just looked like he was in another world.

"Oh what a day…" Francis sighed as he went straight to the kitchen for a glass of wine. "I don't mind telling you Mon Cher, I could do with a holiday, its just one thing after another…" he said as he brought a bottle of wine into the lounge and poured a glass. He also poured one for Arthur but the Englishman didn't touch it. He just sat there and looked away from Francis, not saying a word. Of course, Francis noticed his demeanour but tried to brush it off as nothing, God forbid if Arthur had suddenly gone off him or didn't want to know him anymore or something like that.

"Oh did you feed the cat today?" he asked "Only I forgot this morning…" he said. Francis always fed the cat and if he didn't then Arthur always did. Their little cat was a small white ball of fluff, a ragdoll kitty they called Doodles, who was a creature of habit. They had found Doodles wandering alone as a kitten, about three years previously and both of them fell in love with him straight away.

Every morning he'd get his food and then after cuddles and fun with Francis or Arthur he would make his way upstairs to the bedroom and sleep on a particular spot on the bed. Although they had bought him his own bed, still he liked to go curl up on the big bed and go to sleep. Then after a few hours he would greet them as they came home from work, have some more food and then cuddles and fun again. Sometimes Francis would come in after making sure the kitchen was clean to find Arthur asleep on the sofa with the cat purring on his lap.

Usually he would be winding around their legs at this time looking for his dinner, only… tonight Doodles wasn't there. It was not his usual routine, but that's the way of cats. Sometimes they would go off and do their own thing and that's what Francis assumed was happening. They both adored Doodles, and he made the house feel like a home.

Arthur didn't answer the question, he just stared into space and looked distant. This made Francis even more worried. Had he inadvertently said or done something to upset his husband? Why was he like that?

"I'm going out for a walk…" mumbled Arthur as he stood up. He somehow couldn't look Francis in the eye, and just brushed past him. Oddly he put on a pair of sunglasses, but it wasn't that sunny, there was no need for them.

"Al…right…" Francis uttered, but Arthur couldn't have been half way down the road when he suddenly thought he had to follow him. This wasn't right, this wasn't normal, and he felt his heart beat faster in his chest. Arthur was going to leave him, that was it, he was going to leave. He must have said or done something and didn't realise.

"Mon Cher!" He cried as he ran after him.

The Englishman kept on walking, faster and faster, he didn't want to slow down or face Francis, he just kept walking.

"Arthur will you stop please? Just tell me what I've done!" he cried.

"Leave me alone!" yelled Arthur, and he kept walking. He didn't want to turn around or speak to him. Francis ran ahead and in front of him to try to stop him, it didn't work, and Arthur just walked around him. However, he looked awful, from what Francis could see, just walking along, his mouth open and was he sobbing? He couldn't really tell, and with those sunglasses on it was hard to see his eyes… and that was probably why he'd put them on.

"Stop, Arthur!" Francis cried again following him. "You know I love you, and whatever it is you think I said or did, I swear to you I wouldn't do anything to hurt you Mon Cher! Je t'aime Arthur… please… just talk to me."

Still Arthur would not stop and he would not talk to him and Francis continued to follow him, begging him and pleading with him to just tell him what he had done.

They got to an alleyway and Arthur started to walk down it, here Francis saw his chance, he got in front of him and shoved him up against the wall roughly. "Will you please just tell me what I have done?" he cried.

Arthur let out a strangled whine as he was pushed up against the concrete wall, and then he stopped. There was silence but for the sound of crying, soft gentle breathy crying as Francis removed the sunglasses from Arthurs weeping eyes. He was in tears, his face red and puffy, and sobbing a lot.

"Mon Cher!" exclaimed Francis as he took him in his arms. Finally Arthur relented, practically fell on to Francis and cried deeply and sincerely on to his arm. "What has happened?" he uttered in a soft but puzzled tone. He couldn't fathom it out, but he held Arthur there and stroked his head as his lover cried deeply.

"Lets go home… come on…" Francis whispered as he put his arm around him. He had seen Arthur upset before many times and this was nothing new, but he usually knew why, and this time he didn't.

All the way home he didn't stop, as if he couldn't stop. Francis got the idea finally that it couldn't have been something he said or did, and that something else must be wrong. Eventually he got Arthur home although there were some stares and people wondering what was happening. Once inside he was then able to ask him properly what was wrong.

"This is not like you Mon Cher… something has happened…" Francis said as he knelt in front of him. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, you don't have to hide anything…"

"You…you'll think I'm stupid… you won't want to know…" Arthur mumbled "I thought if I went out, I could feel better and then you'd never need to know…"

Francis handed him a tissue and hugged him. "I would never think you were stupid Arthur, no matter what it is. Now, you tell me what is making you cry so badly… and I hope it is not something I have done."

"I… g…got home an hour before you did…" he uttered quietly. "And D..Doodles was…" he started and then gulped, clutching at the tissue. "Doodles was lying outside in the road… "

Francis listened and his face changed at the realisation of what Arthur was telling him. At first he couldn't believe that England could get all upset about the death of a cat, but then he realised that he was absolutely heartbroken over it. This was both surprising and humbling, and maybe he thought that Arthur was stronger than that, or maybe he didn't realise exactly how sensitive his husband truly was. He reached forward to wipe the tears from Arthur's face as they just wouldn't stop. "You… are like this… over the cat?"

"I knew you'd think I was stupid…" England wept and broke down. "Get away from me… just leave me alone…"

"I don't Mon Cher…" he whispered gently "I think I just saw a side to you I never knew existed."

"An idiot? A stupid sentimental fool?" Arthur cried into the tissue.

"No, a sensitive young man with a tender heart…" Francis uttered, as he held him. "You are allowed to cry Mon Cher…" he whispered as he kissed Arthurs mop of hair. "He was after all an innocent little animal and you loved him… as I loved him too."

Arthur felt the moisture on his head and tears mingling with his own… and all for the death of a cat.


End file.
